Machine for making tubes from fibrous material.



J. E. LAPPEN. MACHINE FOR MAKING TUBES FROM FIBROUS MATERIAL.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 30, 1911.

Patented Nov. 25, 1913.

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APPLICATION FILED DEC 30, 1911. 1,079,774. v Patented Nov. 25, 1913.

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JAMES E. LAPLPEN, 0F WINONA MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR 'IO UNION FIBRE COMPANY,

OF WINONA, MINNESOTA,-A CORPORATION OF MINNESOTA. I

MACHINE FOR MAKING TUBES FROM FIIBROUS MATERIAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 25, 1913.

Application filed December 39,1911. Serial'No. 668,779. i

To all whom, may concern Be it' known that 1, JAMES E. LAP-PEN, a citizen of the ,United States, residing at VVinona, in the county of \Vinona and State of Minnesota, have invented new and useful Machines for Making Tubes from Fibrous Material, of which the following is a specification. Y

The invention relates to improvements in machines for making tubes from wet fibrous material, and has for its object to-provide lmproved means for compressing the fibrous fibrous material usually including fireproof fiber and thisfiber has incorporated with it a binding material and sometimes a water proofing material which may also have some binding effect. The fibrous material with the other materials added is mixed with a suitable quantity of'water forming a pulpy mass which must then be pressed into the desired shape at the same time forcing out the water to an extent to leave the resultant material quite compact and nearly dry, after which the material is finally brought to the dry state.

The present invention comprises a tubular mold with a tubular core inspaced relation to the walls of the mold and plungers are arranged to enter both ends of the mold in a manner to press a mass of fibrous material introducedinto the mold into a compact mass intermediate of the ends of themold where provision is made for the escape of water both through the outer walls of the mold and through the core. \Vhen'the compressed material is' sufliciently compact to hold its shape the mold is opened and the compacted mass, together with a section of the core, is withdrawn from the mold, after which the core is removed and the tube of fibrous material is subjected to a drying action by any suitable'means, as by a drying of this specification, with the understanding that/while the showing of the drawings is of a practical embodiment of the invention the latter is susceptible of other practical embodiments differing in details from the In the drawings :Figure 1 is an eleva-" tion with some parts in section of a press constructed in accordancewith the present invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the upper end of the press drawn on a larger scale than Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longi tudinal section of the intermediate portion of the press on the same scale as Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the lower portion of the press'on the same scale as Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 5 is a cross section on the line 55 of Fig. 1, but drawn to a larger scale. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section through a part of the intermediate portion of the mold on the same scale as Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a base or foundation 1 in which may be formed a well). and thlS well in the partlcular showing of the draw ngs is covered by a flooring 3. Rising from the foundation 1 at the margins of the well 2 is a framework consisting of uprlgl'its 4 and cross pieces taken as simply typical of any suitable framework.

Within the well 2 there is disposed a cylinder '9 and carried by the beam 8 is another cylinder 10, these cylinders being in line one with the other and designed to form the actuating members of the press. In the cylinder 9' there is a piston 11 and inthe cylinder 10 there is a piston 12. The piston 11 is provided with a piston rod 13 1 extending through a gland 14 on the head of the cylinder 9 remote from the supporting end of. the cylinder. The piston 12 is provided with a piston rod 15 extending through apacking gland 16 on the head of the cylinder which is remote from the beam 8. The cylinders are entered by suitable pipes 17 by means of which fluid under pressure may be supplied to the cylinders and throughwhich, or by any other means the c linders may discharge the compressed uid after it has performed its work.

Mounted on ,the flooring 3 is a mold cyl-j inder 18 in line with the operating cylinders 9 and 10. This cylinder 18 is perforated as indicated at 19 and is provided with a door 20, which door need not be longer than the perforated intermediate portion of the cylinder, while separate doors 21 and 22 may be provided at the opposite ends of the mold cylinder 18, all the doors being held in the closed position by latches 23.

Since in operation the parts are customarily arranged upright,-the. terms of position herein used will refer toan upright structure such as disclosed in Fig. 1.

At the upper end of the mold cylinder or casing 18 there is. secured a hopper 24 in turn secured at the wider end to the under' side of the flooring 7 and by providing an handling -the .floor.section 29 and parts carried thereby. I

Extending across the opening 25 is a beam 31 from which depend the side members 32 of a frame having a cross piece 33 carried by the side members. This cross piece is traversed by the core section 27, which may,

above the cross piece33, be reduced in diameter," as-indicated at 34, and this reduced portion traverses the timber 31 being supported by a nut 35 applied to the reduced portion 34 above the timber. 31. The reduced portion 34 where it joins the core section 27 forms a shoulder and this reduced portion is surrounded by a spring 36 bear-' ing atone end against theshoulder at the junction of the reduced portion 34 and the core section 27 and at the other end against the under side of the timber 31, so that the coresection 27 is normally held with the nut 35 in engagement with the upper face of the cross timber 31'.

Mounted'on the cross timber 31 is 'a manipulating lever 37 connected by a chain 38 or other suitable means to the reduced-portion 34 of the core section 27 so that by a suitable manipulation of the lever 37 the core section 27 maybe lifted against the action of the spring 36.

The core sec- The core section 28 is a tubular member, the walls of which are perforated and at the ends this tubular member seats in appro-,

priate sockets 39 in the corresponding ends of the respective core sections 26 and 27, the arrangement being such that on moving the section 27 in the direction of its length against the action of the spring 36 the core section 28 is readily released from its seat but the spring 36 will maintain the core scction 28 with its ends in the seats of the core ger head 43 carried by rods 44 traversing the cross pieces 33 and 31 on opposite sides of the core section 27 and these. rods 44 extend to a cross head 45 secured to the piston rod 15.

In the ordinary operation of the machine when the plungers are at rest and in the retracted position the plunger 40 is at the bottom of the mold casing 18, while the plunger head 43 1s against the under face of the cross piece 33 and the arrangement is such that then the plunger head 43 is some distance above the upper end of the mold casing 18 where joining the hopper or funnel 24. Under the assumption that the parts are in the position just described and the doors 20, 21 and 22 are closed, a suitable quantity of wet lith pulp is introduced into the hopper 24 and gravitates into the mold casing 18 until the latter is full. Then fluid under pressure is introduced into the cylinders 9 and 10 and the pistons 11 and 12 are actuated one toward the other, the plungers 40 and 43 moving one toward the other, the plunger head 40 lifting the mass of wet pulp in the casing 18 and the plunger head 43 moving down against the mass of pulp as soon as the plunger head reaches the upper end of the cylinder 18 which it onters. As soon as the plunger head 43 enters the mold casing 18 the mass within this mold casing is subjected to pressure from both ends simultaneously, which pressure increasesas the plunger heads approach, the water carried by the pulpy mass finding escape through the perforations 19 in the casing 18 and through the perforations in the core section 28 to the interior thereof. This arrangement prevents loss of efficiency in the press due to the elasticity of the material being treated since the mass is attacked from. both ends at once, while the expressed water finds ready escape both from the outer and inner walls of the material being treated. It will be observed that the cylinder 10 is longer than the cylinder 9, so that the extent of travel of the plunger 40 is less than that of the plunger 43, since the plunger 43 must be raised sufficiently above the mouth of the casing 18 to admit the inflow of pulp thereinto. A sufficient pressure is applied to the material to force out thewater therein contained and compress the material to a comparatively solid mass, which, however, is still quite llght and porous, the

, and yet sufiiciently cohesive to withstand handling. lift the core section 27 thus releasing the upper end of thecore section 28. and the pressed tube of material may then readily be removed fro-m the' mold 18 through the opening unclosed by the open door 20.- The core tube 28 may now be removed from the.

formed tube of lith, but since the pulpy material has to a greater or less extent penetrated the perforations in the tubular section of the core, the latter is given a twist resulting in shearing off or withdrawing to the exterior of the section 28 those fibers which have passed into or through the perforations in the core section 28, thus leaving the interior of the tube smooth and at the same time not in any manner mutilating the interior of the molded tube or interfering with the withdrawal of the core section. The withdrawn .core section maynow be replaced or another core section may have beenh-placedtin the mold. when the operation may be repeated. After the removal of the core from the molded fibrous tube, the latter is carried to a suitable place where it may become thoroughly dried, such drying being usually hastened by the aid of heat. The liquid which is pressed out of the material and escapes through the openings in the outer casing and core may "flow to a sewer connectionv or other suitable. conduit What is claimed is 1. Apress for forming tubes of fibrous material comprising a mold casing, a see- (not shown), as it is simply waste liquid.

tional core therefor having an intermediate,

hollow section perforated for the escape of liquid and capable of sidewise removal from the contiguous core sections, and oppositely movable plungers working within the casing and adapted to compress the material from bot-h ends of the easing into the intermediate portion thereof surrounding the removable section of the core, said intermediate portion.

The lever 37 is manipulated to of the casing being perforated for the escape of liquid and provided with a side door of sufficient length to permit the siclewise withdrawal of the compressed tube and the per forated core section together.

2. A. press for forming tubes from fibrous material comprising an elongated mold casmg, a core extending therethrough and having an intermediate hollow, removable section perforated for the escape of liquid and sections abutting the same, one of said abutting sections being longitudinally movable to release the perforatedsection, and plungers.

arranged to enter bothends of the casing and adapted to compress the material into the intermediate portion thereof surrounding said removable core section, said intermediate portion of the casing being perforated for the escape of liquid and provided with a gated-opening of sufiicient length to permit the withdrawal of the compressed tube and the removable core section together.

3. A press for forming tubes from wet pulpy fibrous material comprisingan elongated mold chamber, a core extending therethrough and provided with an intermediate removable perforated tubular section, one

section of' the core being longitudinally movable to release the perforated section at will and the mold being provided with a door intermediate of its length, theintermediate portion'of the mold and the door being perforated, plungers movable through the mold toward the intermediate portion thereof, one plunger being permanently located in the mold and the other bein" movable into and out of one end thereof, a fe nected to the end of the mold into and out of whichone plunger moves, and alined actuating means for the plungers.

4. A press for forming tubes from wet pulpy fibrous material comprising an elongated fmold ch-amber a core extending. therethrough-and provided with an intermediate removable perforated tubular section, one section of the core being longitudinally movable to release the perforated section at will and the mold being provided with a door eding hopper conconnected to the end of the mold into and outv v of which one plunger moves, and alined ac tuating means for the plungers, said alined actuating means being of different lengths to impart a greater extent of travel to the plunger moving into and out of the hopper end of the mold.

5. A press for forming tubes of fibrous material from a wet pulpy mass thereof comprising an elongated mold having an intermediate perforated section and an intermediate door for access to the interior portion of the mold, plungers movable lengthwise of the mold from the ends toward the center portion thereof simultaneously, and a core for the mold comprisingsocketed end sections and an intern'iediate perforated tubular portion adapted to engage in the sockets in the end portions, one end portion of the core having a normal tendency-toward the other end portion of the core and provided with manipulating means for moving it against its normal tendency to release the intermediate;portion of the core from engagement therewith.

6. A press for forming fibrous tubes comprising an elongated molding chamber having a core with a removable hollow section ln 'the intermediate portion thereof and located intermedlately of the chamber, the removable portion of the core and the intermediate portion of the molding chamber being perforated.

7. A press for forming tibrous tubes comprising an elongated molding chamber having an intermediate portion provided with means for the escape of liquid therefrom through its walls, a hollow removable core for the intermediate portion of the molding chamber having means for the escape of liquid through its walls to the interior of the core, and plungers arranged to enter both endsof the chamber and move toward the central portion thereof.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses. I JAMES E. LAPPEN.

Witnesses:

OSCAR ll. N1oLAI, 1t. '1. Sonnnnnsn. 

